Deputy Minister in the Presidency Kenny Morolong has highlighted the strategic role of the media, advertising and communication (MAC) sector, saying it serves as a vital connector—linking South Africans to each other, the wider continent, and global markets.
Creative spirit
“It is a sector that draws on the creative spirit of our nation, both to celebrate and magnify the best of who and what we are,” Morolong said.
He was speaking at the inaugural Out-Of Home (OOH) Media Owner’s Session in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Morolong said the sector can help the country overcome the many persistent challenges that confront society and the economy.
“Our expectations of this sector are therefore onerous,” Morolong said at the gathering, which brings together media owners across all scales – from established industry leaders to emerging independent operators fostering meaningful dialogue built on unity, transparency, and the collective commitment to advancing the OOH landscape.
Morolong said government viewed the broader MAC and Out-of-Home-Media as crucial to creating jobs, alleviating poverty and growing the South African economy.
“We undertook to have a government that develops investor-friendly policies, laws and regulations including municipal by-laws.”
He said the creative sector should be supported by government and by the private sector as a sector that has great potential for growth and job creation.
“This represents an enormous challenge for the South African government, and we will look to this forum to provide leadership and advice on how best government can match other countries’ successes in redressing the economic imbalances in a digital and multi-platform environment.
“In 2024, government and the private sector joined hands to celebrate 30 Years of Freedom and Democracy across the country. We are proud to report that several policies have been implemented by government to facilitate a better match of the demand and supply of labour.
“The unemployed section of our population, however, often lives far from jobs, in rural areas, making transport costs unaffordable,” Morolong said.
Job-seeking
He said the lack of nearby amenities and expensive transport costs raise the cost of job- seeking for those least able but competent to apply.
“While there has been huge improvement from 1994 to date, unfortunately economic growth has not been equitably distributed throughout the population, making the per capita figures an inaccurate reflection of the change in well-being for the poorest segment of the population,” the Deputy Minister said.
Morolong said one of the strategic objectives of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) is to ensure a transformed, print and digital media, advertising sector as well as community media.
“The GCIS is mandated by the B-BBEE Act of 2003 to drive the seven pillars of the B-BBEE Codes (ownership and control, management control, skills development, enterprise development, employment) through the Sector Code whose mandate is overseen by the Sector Charter Council.
“Therefore, the role of the MAC Sector Charter Council becomes more urgent to ensure that transformation is promoted, monitored and reported to the GCIS, the dtic, B-BEE Commission and the President’s Advisory Committee on B-BEE,” concluded Morolong.
